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This Intern Says His Role at Caterpillar is a Stepping Stone for Lifelong Career Success

As one of the few companies that offered programs for students at his high school, Caterpillar was top of mind for Brandan Bonham when it came time to search for an internship. Immediately after beginning his internship, Bonham says he realized that Caterpillar offers a “real world” learning experience that benefit interns in a variety of ways.

“It’s what really makes me feel engaged and part of the team.”

Now, three years after starting his first internship, he’s had the opportunity to work on two different teams and diversify his skill sets. Bonham says he’s worked on a variety of projects that challenged him to learn new tools and find different ways of manipulating data to drive business decisions.

“The fact that I’m learning something new and challenging myself is what gets me in the door each day,” says Bonham, “The environment at Caterpillar gives me opportunities every day to step out of my box and explore something new.”

Bonham currently works as an Analytics intern on a team of about 20 engineers and consultants. He says his colleagues come from a wide range of backgrounds, which brings out diversity in ideas.

Essentially, Bonham says he views his internship as a building block in his career, and what he loves most about his role at Caterpillar is the freedom to take on new projects, and unlimited opportunities that allow him to learn and gain experience early in his professional journey. He says he’s continuously challenged to push his boundaries, and Caterpillar’s investment in him has shown him that he’s capable of more than he ever thought.

Interpersonal relationships are critical to a company’s success, that’s why Bonham says that Caterpillar’s priority on team building events and collaborative environment drives employees to perform above expectations and impact customers around the globe.

This type of environment has taught Bonham that the most important skill necessary for a role like his is a strong understanding of Caterpillar’s machines and products. Not only is it important to know the technical side but understanding customer needs to help their businesses and machines running consistently.

About BrandanHometown: Morton, ILSchool: Bradley UniversityCurrent Role at Caterpillar: Analytics internFun fact: In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking, playing pickleball and spending time with friends and family.